Construction of Lititz-area event venue, Brick Gables, gets under way

A historic Warwick Township barn is becoming an event venue and a new home for two growing small businesses.

In a $3.2 million project, the East Newport Road barn will be doubled in size by the owners of Zig’s Bakery and Country Home Catering.

The 300-seat event venue in the Newport Commons barn will be named Brick Gables, taking its name from a distinctive feature of the barn.

“We were looking for something long-term in the Lititz community. Then this barn, which was falling apart, caught our eye,” said Brandon Ziegler, owner of Zig’s Bakery.

“We keep saying it’s a dream come true,” he said Wednesday.

Ziegler is developing the 1.05-acre property with his parents, Dean and Carole Ziegler, owners of Country Home Catering.

Groundbreaking was held this week. Speedwell Construction is the project’s general contractor. A spring opening is planned.

The project will repair, remodel and expand the barn — built circa 1900 — from 7,000 square feet (over two floors) to 14,300 square feet.

John O. Yoder III, Speedwell Construction architect and project manager, said the barn’s stone and brick are in “excellent shape.”

But not the timber. So Speedwell Construction has hired an Amish barn builder to rebuild that portion of the facility.

The property will have 80 parking spaces. It also will be able to use 56  spaces that it will share with residents of Newport Commons.

Ziegler said he and his parents spent years looking for a place where they could be long-term, while sharing a kitchen and storage to cut overhead.

At the same time, they sensed a demand for event space in the area.

It was Ziegler’s wife’s uncle, Fred Raffensperger, who suggested they consider the Newport Commons barn for their venture.

Brick Gables, at 800 E. Newport Road, between Clay and Brunnerville roads, will hold wedding receptions, banquets and other events.

It will have indoor seating for 300 and outdoor seating for 200.

Zig’s Bakery, now at 87 Green Acre Road, about two miles from Newport Commons, will double its space, add a 40-seat cafe and double its schedule.

The business, which will tweak its name to Zig’s Bakery & Cafe, will go from operating three days a week to six days a week.

As a result, the Zig’s Bakery & Cafe work force of 15 employees will add three full-time and eight part-time workers when it moves.

The Zieglers bought the bakery business eight years ago when it was Minnich’s Farm Bakery.

Country Home Catering has been operating from the 112 Fairland Road home of Dean and Carole Ziegler for about 25 years.

The business, with about a dozen employees, uses a kitchen that was built onto the Ziegler home.

Source: Lancaster Online